Well-Hydrated, Happier?

Exercise psychologists have discovered a drink that makes exercise more pleasurable: water. Fifteen volunteers ran on a treadmill on two different days. On one occasion, they drank water just prior to warming up and again every 20 minutes while they exercised. They received no water before or during the other run. When water was a part of the workout, the subjects reported that their mood rose throughout and remained better than it was beforehand, even though their perceived exertion was unaffected. (Without water, the subjects felt less happy after the run than they did before it.) It's possible that reduction of body temperature or relief of thirst explains the psychological boost, according to Susan Backhouse of the Carnegie Research Institute in Leeds, England, and her colleagues. Because excess water consumption has been known to cause dangerous sodium imbalances during prolonged exercise, however, experts caution against drinking too much and advise that thirst should be one's guide.